Le vie dell'acqua

A festival dedicated to water and the sea

Le vie dell'acqua is a key part of the summer program at the Casa del Cinema in Rome, hosted at the Teatro all'aperto Ettore Scola, surrounded by the greenery of Villa Borghese (District II). The festival features significant titles where water, and the sea in particular, plays a leading role: from adventure to thrillers, from comedy to animation, each evening offers a unique way to explore the liquid element that has always inspired cinema.

Screenings under the stars

Evenings take place outdoors, starting at 9:30 PM, in the Casa del Cinema's summer arena. The 2026 festival runs throughout July and August, spanning different genres and regions, alternating between Hollywood classics and masterpieces of Italian and Japanese cinema. Highlights include Lifeboat by Alfred Hitchcock, The Hunt for Red October by John McTiernan, Operation Petticoat by Blake Edwards, Swept Away by Lina Wertmüller, and Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki.

Open-air cinema in the heart of Rome

This initiative is part of the long-standing tradition of Roman summer arenas, which transform the capital's parks and squares into open-air theaters every year. Villa Borghese, with its Teatro Ettore Scola, provides a stunning backdrop just a stone's throw from the historic center: here, the public can enjoy films on warm evenings, cooled by the park's breeze. The festival is organized by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma through the Casa del Cinema.

A thematic journey through diverse genres

• Adventure and thriller: the sea as a stage for tension, survival, and strategy, from Hitchcock's castaways to Cold War submarines.
• Comedy: from the irony of Blake Edwards to the social satire of Lina Wertmüller, set against the backdrop of islands and August seas.
• Animation and poetry: the marine fairy tale by Hayao Miyazaki, captivating for both adults and children.

A free event for everyone

Admission to all screenings is free, in keeping with the popular and cultural mission of the Casa del Cinema. Le vie dell'acqua is a precious opportunity to experience great cinema in Rome without barriers, in one of the city's most beloved green spaces. The event confirms the capital of Lazio's role as a benchmark for open-air cinema during the summer.